This book proposes a program of diet and exercise recommendations for the reader to follow. However, you should consider a qualified medical professional (and, if you are pregnant, your ob-gyn) before starting this or any other fitness program. Please see your doctor’s advice before making any decisions that affect your health or extreme changes in your diet, particularly if you suffer from any medical condition or have any symptom that may require treatment. As with any diet or exercise program, if at any time you experience discomfort, stop immediately and consult your physician. Copyright 2018 by Strauss Zelnick and Galvanized Media All rights reserved Published in the United States by Galvanized Media and distributed by Simon & Schuster Hardcover ISBN: 9781940358178 eBook ISBN: 9781940358192 Photographs by Brad Trent simonandschuster.com First edition Book design by Joe Heroun CONTENTS Foreword Introduction: The Right Question The Becoming Ageless Plan Part One GET WITH THE PROGRAM The ultimate exercise regimen for getting lean, reducing stress, and feeling energized—for life CHAPTER 1 UNLOCK YOUR INNER STRENGTH No matter your body type, acquiring more muscle is the foundation for an ageless body that performs as good as it looks. CHAPTER 2 FIND A BETTER BALANCE Use dynamic stretches, foam rollers, and yoga to improve flexibility and increase strength. CHAPTER 3 DIAL UP YOUR INTENSITY Know the science behind high-intensity workouts, how to ease into them, and how best to build your own explosive routine. Part Two EAT FOREVER FUEL The best foods for getting lean, fit, and muscular CHAPTER 4 YOUR NEW POWER PLATE Here’s how, when, and what to eat to ensure that you’re loading up on all the perfect foods for building muscle and feeling great. CHAPTER 5 BREAK THE GLASS The path to a cleaner and healthier lifestyle requires the right drinks in the right amounts at the right times. Follow this crystal-clear guide to perfect hydration. CHAPTER 6 CHEAT LIKE A CHAMP Maximize your results and motivation by intelligently indulging in your favorite foods. Part Three BULLETPROOF YOUR BODY How to prevent illness and disease and stay healthy—forever CHAPTER 7 YOUR HEALTH-PRESERVATION MEASURES Enlist all the health-minded preventive measures you can today to ensure you’re in top form tomorrow and beyond. CHAPTER 8 FIND YOUR KILLER CONFIDENCE Looking great is the world’s greatest confidence boost—period. Here’s how to put your best body forward, always. Part Four FIND YOUR SOUL How to discover a deeper connection with yourself and those you love CHAPTER 9 CONSTRUCT YOUR BEST SUPPORT SYSTEM There’s no better way to increase accountability than by surrounding yourself with an ensemble of trusted and highly motivated individuals. CHAPTER 10 EMBRACE YOUR SPIRITUAL SIDE Whatever you believe, becoming a calmer, more patient, and more tolerant person is a huge step toward not only self-fulfillment but also great health. CHAPTER 11 HARNESS YOUR GOOD ENERGY Make sure you always have enough gas in the tank to work hard, excel, get ahead, be strong, and stay focused every day. Part Five BECOME AGELESS Strategies for eating and working out that support health, longevity, and your goal of a leaner and more muscular body CHAPTER 12 THE BECOMING AGELESS EATING PLAN Learn to develop better eating habits and discover healthy and delicious recipes to prepare for any meal—even dessert. CHAPTER 13 THE BECOMING AGELESS WORKOUT PLAN Your 12-week guide to being stronger and fitter eases you into training in the gym three days a week. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS In memory of the incredibly talented, kind, and fit SHAWN PERINE Foreword L that a reporter once asked Albert Einstein what man’s greatest EGEND HAS IT invention was, and the scientist, after a long pause, didn’t respond with any of the usual answers, such as the wheel, the printing press, or even the theory of relativity. Instead, the man who forever changed our understanding of the universe simply replied: “Compound interest.” Whether or not he actually uttered those words, I’d argue that compounding—the idea of something gaining value exponentially into the future through better decisions made in the present—is one of the greatest lessons any human being can ever learn. But I’m not talking about your 401(k). I’m talking about your health. Most people know that genes play a dominant role in living longer, but that’s only part of the equation. After all, for those of us not genetically bequeathed with magic genes ensuring we become centenarians—or even ensuring that we’re fit, active, and looking great well into our sixth, seventh, and eighth decades—what can we do? The answer is actually less about the exact details of what you should do and more about the mind-set of how you do it. And in Becoming Ageless, Strauss Zelnick, a man who is undeniably healthy and vibrant—who has built a body over time that appears truly to defy age—makes a compelling case for the following answer: Day in and day out, if you want to live longer and live better, you need a clear and basic understanding that the outcome of your journey is the sum of its steps. Strauss is not just my patient. He’s a dear friend, and our friendship has offered me a front-row seat to the discipline at the heart of his success. He is not in any way genetically superior to you. His greatest talent, at least when it comes to his health, is his capacity for consistency and the common sense with which he approaches all the health-minded topics you’ll find in this book. Strauss knows there’s a fine line between skipping a workout because you’re busy and skipping one because your body needs a day off. He knows there’s a fine line between indulging in a decadent dessert every once in a while and inhaling junk food because it’s there and you’re hungry. The challenge is discovering that line for yourself and walking it every day. And once you’ve discovered it, you can exploit the miracle of compounding your health. There are no guarantees with your health, just as there are no guarantees with your wealth. As an entertainment-world executive at the top of his game for nearly four decades, Strauss knows this more than anyone. But he also knows that you can stack the odds in your favor by making sacrifices today that are worth the gains in the long term. And with the principles that he explains in Becoming Ageless, you’ll be living longer—and with greater clarity of thought, mobility, and freedom from pain.